1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the throwing of objects by hand, and particularly to improvements in the construction of a sling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The sling is an ancient device employed even in Biblical times, although in a slightly different manner than modern slings are used, to throw a projectile with great force and/or for a great distance. A modern application of the sling is to throw a ball to be retrieved by a dog or other animal.
One example of a modern sling is found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,644,441, issued July 7, 1953 to A. S. Simko, which discloses a ball-throwing sling having a ball-retaining pocket provided with a pair of opposed openings, and with a pair of straps, one of which straps being provided with a finger receiving loop in an end thereof spaced from the pocket. The other of the straps is provided at an end thereof spaced from the pocket with a finger engaging tab. The finger retaining loop is intended to retain the sling on a thrower's finger. In a similar manner, U.S. Pat. No. 1,419,682, issued June 13, 1922 to G. B. Miles, discloses a sling having a finger loop and knot terminating respective straps extending from a pocket of the sling.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,776,435, issued Sept. 23, 1930 to H. C. Isbell, discloses a sling provided with an element which forms a loop disposed for receiving a finger of one's throwing hand. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 381,732, issued Apr. 24, 1888 to A. H. Walker, discloses the need for good control of an arm actuated projecting device.
One basic disadvantage of the known slings is that the conventionally provided finger loop makes the thrower's finger sore, while the tab at the other end of the sling forms another disadvantage inasmuch as it tears at the flesh of the hand as the tab is released. Further, the saliva imparted to the ball, or similar object, by a dog, and the like, makes the ball very hard to handle, and consequently makes the thrower's hand slippery so as to hinder control of the free end of the sling. Still further, the known slings generally are provided with a pocket constructed in such a manner, such as by rivets, that the pocket will not lie flat, and consequently the pocket grabs at the ball, or other object being thrown, as same is released, thus further hindering control of the throwing operation.